Tuīxiāoyuán liánlián chī bìméngēng, yī dān yě méi tán chéng.
The salesman got rebuffed again and again and didn't close a single deal.
Tips
usage
Almost always paired with 吃 ('to eat'): 吃闭门羹 = 'to be turned away.' The soup you 'eat' is the refusal itself.
history
From the Tang-dynasty 云仙杂记: a Xuancheng courtesan named Shi Feng screened suitors - the ones she refused were sent away with a bowl of 'closed-door soup' instead of an audience.
